That's also the problem, to greater consequence, with Bessie. When a woman who has been nothing but self-centered and manipulative eventually reveals that she really cares about her daughter and son, that can be powerful theater — but not unless an earlier moment or two has sparked the suspicion. Bessie's desperation could draw some sympathy from us, but it's hard to glimpse helpful intentions beneath her bluster.

In its time, Awake and Sing! was appreciated not for its skillfully drawn characters but rather for how it spoke to the era, expressing the nation's yearnings and contradictions. The play is considered Odets's masterpiece, but he wasn't yet a master, so he populated the stage with stereotypes. (His better-drawn one-act Waiting for Lefty, also set in the Depression, opens at Providence College February 6.) With the naturalistic set design by William P. Wieters and spot-on costume design by Marilyn Salvatore, this production is physically convincing but remains emotionally unengaging.

Ideas and emotions Grace takes place in the recent memories of the title character as well as in her difficult present. The basic concern here, which nags her like a toothache, is the non-existence of the divine.

After Eden One of the heroines of Stick Fly , a post-doctoral student of etymology, likes to smear honey on the table and then scrutinize the flies that get stuck in it.

Classic drama Theater classics are at a significant disadvantage: overfamiliarity.

Talking ’bout a revolution It takes a theatrical genius like Tom Stoppard to come up with Rock ’n’ Roll, which merges the pulsing spirit of both until they feel like one. And it takes a theater of the caliber of the Gamm to make history feel like a Stones concert that becomes a political rally.

Gamm's Mauritius gets a stamp of semi-approval The very idea of spinning a tale of suspense and high drama over stamp collecting is comical, so Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius is certainly funny. The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre is staging it through November 21, directed by Rachel Walshe.

Review: The Gamm's Child's Christmas in Wales The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre is presenting Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales , always a good idea at this time of year. This expanded version of the 2003 adaptation by artistic director Tony Estrella incorporates fragments of other works by the Welsh poet, even a complete short story, and continues in a short run through December 26.

Review: The Gamm's masterful Doll's House There have been other plays well worth seeing this season, but nothing like this masterpiece at the Gamm. And I don't mainly mean the classic by Henrik Ibsen itself, since A Doll's House in shaky hands can come across as shrill and lesson-laden.

REASONS TO BELIEVE (OR NOT) | September 24, 2014 To non-believers, the evangelical movement can look like a loud, friendly party whose invitation we’ve politely declined, but whose windows sooner or later we can’t help peeking into.

MYTHS AND DREAMS | September 24, 2014 This play stringings together bedtime stories and fevered hallucinations.

GENDER BENDERS | September 17, 2014 Gender confusion has probably been around for as long as gender conflicts.

SIMONE'S | September 17, 2014 In the Rhode Island tradition of giving directions like “it’s where the coffee milk factory used to be,” Simone’s is located where Not Your Average Bar & Grille and the ice cream shop Supreme Dairy used to be.